


Library Love

by MizuLeKitten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens On Earth, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Antok loves him, Kolivan is a mess, Libraries, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, The Blade of Marmora is a public library, They're also galra military vets, its alright, pining kolivan (voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:22:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16161611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuLeKitten/pseuds/MizuLeKitten
Summary: Kolivan opened the Blade of Marmora library with his friends, his team, not too long ago. Everything's going well, if not busy, but that doesn't stop something new (or old) from forming between Kolivan and his closest friend. Kolivan simply wishes for everything to stay the same, but does Antok want that as well?





	Library Love

**Author's Note:**

> SO! This is for the awesome [Rarepair Flash Bang](https://voltronrarepairflashbang.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! I've been eagerly holding onto this for awhile now so I'm excited to get to share it with all of you. My artist is the amazing [xblackpaladin](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/) on tumblr and I can't wait to link in their art :3 I've seen it. Its awesome.
> 
> You can find me at [MizuLeKitten](https://mizulekitten.tumblr.com/) on tumblr as well!
> 
> So without further ado -- enjoy!
> 
> Update! Art :3 [Amazing Art](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/post/178653008605/library-love-read-the-fic-here-antok-was-an)

Kolivan marched up the stairs to the second floor of the library, arms full with a box of new books. The books had recently been bought to add to their collection, and there were several boxes of donations as well (someone was downsizing their personal library, and had been eager to donate what they could). Kolivan needed to go through and sort the books, decide which ones were enough to stay, and which were not. The new books would be far easier to sort.

It hardly felt like work, though; he enjoyed looking through the titles, seeing which books had been well loved, and which ones he, himself, might pick up for a nightly read. Human literature was interesting, if not wildly different than that of their Galra counterpart, but that’s what made it all the more exciting. Both had romance, fantasy, sci fi (in loose terms for Galra considering they were so well traveled through the universe), and many more. It was how they were written where the books differed, how the characters interacted and the specific stories that were told. It was intriguing, and puzzling, to see what the human mind could come up with.

At the top of the stairs, Kolivan found himself slowing. Directly across from where he was were two glass doors with a wooden frame that were currently closed. He couldn’t blame Antok for keeping the doors closed, the air circulation within the building was poor, so the heat from outside seemed to settle into the rooms and then grow as people came and went. The Children’s Room had an air conditioner, but there was no way it’d be able to cool the whole building.

Antok was an easy presence to find through the glass. He was larger than most of their patrons, even when kneeling he dwarfed many, and running the Children’s Room meant interacting with the smallest of each species they served. If Kolivan were being honest, it was as if Antok were a Yupper, surrounded by his pups. They were guard creatures, hostile towards those who tried to pose a threat (unruly patrons who tried to push even when they were in the wrong), but the softest creatures towards their own (the children that frequented the room, searching for a new adventure).

Krolia’s young son, Keith, was sitting in a chair and talking to Antok. The chair helped alleviate their height difference, but it still required Antok to slouch to fully compensate. If they were still in the military, such a sight would’ve been met with confusion and concern. Antok was a tall, proud Galra. Why would he  _ willingly  _ make himself seem smaller? It was the opposite of what any Galra would do.

Kolivan knew why Antok went to such length, and would never judge him for it. With children, Antok melted. His rough exterior gave way to a milky center, and he did his best to accommodate the needs of their younger visitors. It was a soft sight that Kolivan knew would puzzel their old military colleagues.

During his musings, Keith’s smile had became a frown, and then a pout. Even with impaired vision in one eye, from a mission gone wrong, Kolivan could see the tears forming in Keith’s own eyes, threatening to spill. Antok’s hand, giant in comparison to how small Keith was, settled on the boy’s back, rubbing soothing circles to calm him. Kolivan couldn’t hear what was being exchanged, but whatever was said worked, as Keith’s pout lessened, as the tears that had formed dried up.

It was a sight that Kolivan wouldn’t trade for all their old military fame.

He placed the box down by the office door, to the side of the Children’s Room, and found himself entering without thought.

Antok looked up as the door opened, and grinned.

He froze upon that grin. He had no business that needed discussing with Antok nor Regris, who he heard faintly humming his ABC’s as he shelved books. There was no pressing matter, no questions he had. The only reason he had to enter was to see-

He walked towards the back of the room, nodding at Antok as he passed and ruffling Keith’s hair (much to the boy’s delight). He entered the supply room, and then the bathroom to the side. He clutched onto the sides of the sink (lower down than he would like, but easier for the children to get to) and let his body relax (sag) forward. He took a deep breath, and prayed to the stars and back that Antok would assume he was going to the bathroom.  Anything was better than Antok realizing the truth….

Kolivan had never felt like this before. Never felt this need to be around someone, not for anything important, but to simply bask in their presence. It was new and strange, yet he felt it all the time when his gaze fell upon his friend. Now, after watching Antok calm Keith so seamlessly, despite how much of a crier Keith tended to be when frustrated, the warmth in his chest had threatened to burst. If not for his freeze upon entering the room, he may have said something that would have changed everything forever.

He could very easily  _ tell _ Antok how he felt, bite the bullet and explain how the man made him speechless yet talkative, how he made Kolivan want to be better, but also made him want to relax for once in his life. It was what came after that was so hard to accept - the change that would affect their relationship, for better or worse (and change was so hard to handle after the service). Antok could say no, gently put aside his feelings and move on, or, worse, he could say yes.

Not returning his feelings was an easier scenario to envision than acceptance, and one more easily worked through. Kolivan had no frame of reference of how to work through a relationship. Flings were an entirely different ballgame than a committed relationship, and while Kolivan had experience in the former, he had none in the latter.

He looked towards himself in the mirror. The battle weary soldier that had been sculpted into his body over years of war and defending his people was so easily replaced by a teenager in love.

It scared him to no end.

The faucet made a creaking noise as he turned it on (he would look into the pipes later), and he splashed his face. It was hot out. The cool water was refreshing. There was no other reason for the action. None. His reflection in the mirror seemed to laugh at him, but at least he didn’t look as lovestruck anymore.

Kolivan walked out of the bathroom and the storage room, and fought against the urge to pause when he noticed Antok watching the door, watching  _ him _ . He glanced to the table, where Keith was eagerly scribbling away at a paper, content for the moment, and took the opportunity to walk up to Antok, to talk (he  _ should  _ be heading back to work. He had books to catalogue, amongst other things. He shouldn’t be feeding the infectious warmth in his heart).

Antok smirked at him as he took his place next to Antok’s side, “busy day?”

“New shipment of books came in,” Kolivan averted his gaze, instead focusing on the way Keith’s red crayon scribble across the page.

“Any for me?”

He gave a small nod, “once I go through them, Thace should have them labeled by the end of the week.”

“I doubt that,” Antok said with a chuckle.

“How many did you order?”

“I gave you my list, shouldn’t you know?” The tease was obvious, but Kolivan still found himself glancing over to make sure (to get another look at his friend’s beauty).

If Kolivan was being honest, the day he had done book orders had been a particularly love sick day, and he had bought all the books Antok had asked for without a second thought. It wasn’t the smartest decision, but Antok seemed to hinder a lot of his higher functions.

“I wished to see if you knew.”

Antok laughed, “my apologies then,” they both knew it was a lie, yet that knowledge was tempered by an overly fond look that had Kolivan melting into his boots. It was the heat, simply the heat that made him flush.

“I have work to do.”

“Better get to it then.”

“Yes.” Kolivan did not make to move despite his words. “Call me if you need anything; I’m a room away.” It was partly an excuse to see Antok again, but he also meant it.

“I’ll call.”

Kolivan nodded in acknowledgement before maneuvering his way through the tables and chairs to the door. He didn’t look back, as tempting as it was to get another look of Antok. He never did, no matter how much the desire to flooded his mind…

If he had, he would've noticed Antok’s fond look following him out.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to check out Arka's [Amazing Art](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/post/178653008605/library-love-read-the-fic-here-antok-was-an)


End file.
